Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris (born June 1, 1977) is an American actress and film director, best known as a scream queen for her multiple horror film roles, four of them in the Halloween series:1 in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) as Jamie Lloyd, and in the new versions of Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009) as Annie Brackett. Other such turns include portraying Tosh in Urban Legend (1998), Belle in Stake Land (2010) and taking over the lead role of Marybeth Dunston in the Hatchet series, for Hatchet II (2010) and Hatchet III (2013). Beside her scream queen reputation, Harris is known as a former child actress whose career has grown to include various independent films as well as blockbusters such as Marked for Death (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), Free Willy (1993), Daylight (1996) and the aforementioned Halloween films. She is also noted for her voice acting, which includes her role of Debbie Thornberry for the complete TV series run of The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004) and related films The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) and Rugrats Go Wild (2003), and her role of Sierra on the TV series Father of the Pride (2004–2005). Harris' directorial debut, the horror comedy Among Friends, was released in 2013. Early life Danielle Harris was born on June 1, 1977 in Queens, New York, and raised by her single mother, Fran.2 Harris is Jewish3 and has one sister, Ashley.4 Her family moved to Port Orange, Florida, when she was two, where she attended Spruce Creek Elementary School.5 Harris won a beauty contest in elementary school, winning a trip to New York for ten days.6 While there, she was offered numerous modeling jobs, but turned them down due to the fact they were all far from her home.7 Her mother was eventually transferred back to New York due to her job89 and Harris began work as a model.10 She then began to appear in television commercials as well.11 Career In 1985, Harris was cast in the role of Samantha "Sammi" Garretson in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.121314 She stayed on the program for three years, from 1985 through to 1987. Her character was considered a "miracle child",15 extracted as an embryo from the womb of her recently deceased mother and implanted in a family friend, whom her father later married. Harris was seven upon receiving the role.16 In 1987, Harris made a one episode appearance in the series Spenser: For Hire, portraying a girl named Tara.17 Following her early work on One Life to Live, Harris successfully auditioned for the role of Jamie Lloyd in the fourth edition of the Halloween franchise, beating out several other young actresses, including Melissa Joan Hart.181920 Harris celebrated her eleventh birthday21 on the set of the film.22 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers was released on October 21, 1988 and enjoyed both critical and commercial success. Shot on a $5 million budget,23 the film went on to gross over $17 million worldwide.24 Halloween 4 grossed $6,831,250 in its opening weekend alone, and has become the fifth best performing Halloween series entry as of 2012.25 On doing this type of film at such a young age, Harris stated: “ It was fun for me. I knew we were making a movie and I knew that it was make believe. I was more worried about being a good, little actress and being able to cry and scream really good. I think everybody made such an amazing effort to make sure that I knew that it wasn't real. In between takes we would joke around and it was just fun. It didn't really bother me until I got to be older.26 ” Harris returned the following year for the film's immediate sequel, entitled Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.27 The film was not as well received or as commercially successful as the previous entry.28 Harris portrayed Jamie Lloyd once again, but her character was mute for the first half of Halloween 5 owing to events in the previous film.293031 In 1990, Harris appeared in her third film, Marked for Death.32 The action film, directed by Dwight H. Little, had a $2 million budget33 and was a box office success, earning $43 million domestically and $57 million worldwide.343536 Despite its popularity, the film received mixed reviews.37 1991 saw Harris partake in several film and television projects. She appeared in the made-for-television film Don't Touch My Daughter, as a young girl who is kidnapped and molested.38 In her second made-for-television film, The Killing Mind, Harris portrayed main character Isobel as a child.39 Later that year, Harris made an appearance on the sketch-oriented show In Living Color.40 Harris' next major role was in the 1991 comedy film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, in which she portrayed Melissa Crandell,41 with the story revolving around five siblings whose mother goes to Australia for three months, only to have her children's babysitter die. The young protagonists choose not to tell their mother and attempt to live on their own.42 The film received mixed to negative reviews, and has a 31% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.43 Harris had a guest role in the 1991 series Eerie, Indiana, portraying a central character in the seventh episode.44 Her character, Melanie, receives a heart transplant and later begins to act like the heart's original owner.45 She also guest starred as Susie Maxwell in an episode of Growing Pains.46 Harris had the role of Darian Hallenbeck in the 1991 action film The Last Boy Scout, alongside Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans.47 The film grossed $7,923,669 in its opening weekend, and the total gross was $59,509,925.4849 Reviews were mixed, and some critics cited the Christmastime release for such a violent film as a reason for its somewhat underwhelming box office.50515253 During the next three years, Harris began making guest appearances in various television series and films, with fewer theatrical releases. She appeared in the pilot for the potential CBS series 1775, although it was not picked up.54 Starting in 1992, Harris had a recurring role on the comedy series Roseanne, portraying Molly Tilden55 in seven episodes.565758 In 1993, Harris again worked with Roseanne star Roseanne Barr in the made-for-television film The Woman Who Loved Elvis, this time as daughter Priscilla.59 She appeared in the series Jack's Place the same year, portraying a young woman named Jennifer in the episode titled "True Love Ways".60 A notable theatrical film role at the time was that of Gwenie in the popular Free Willy, of 1993,61 which had a domestic gross of $7,868,829 in its opening weekend62 and went on to make $77,698,625 domestically and $76 million in its foreign release for a total $153,698,625 worldwide.62 In 1994, she appeared on the drama series The Commish, playing the role of Sheri Fisher for one episode.63 The same year, Harris portrayed the main character's daughter Jessica in the made-for-television film Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography.64 The biopic was based upon her former co-star Roseanne Barr. Also in 1994, Harris appeared in an episode of teenage sitcom Boy Meets World.65 In 1995, Harris learned that producers of then-upcoming Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers were looking for a new actress to play the role of Jamie Lloyd, which Harris had originally portrayed since the character's introduction. Upon investigating, Harris learned that they wanted someone over the age of 18, and she was only 17 at the time. After talking with the producers, Harris got emancipated in order to appear in the film. Upon reading the script, Harris was not happy with the fate of her character, who was killed early into the proceedings.66 Harris was also dissatisfied with the salary they offered her, as it did not even cover the cost of her emancipation. She ultimately abstained from reprising her role in this film and was replaced by J. C. Brandy. Harris has since admitted to being glad she did not rejoin the series at this point, believing that her decision allowed her to make her later return in the 2007 remake of the original Halloween.67 Still, Harris can be seen in versions of Curse that incorporate the previous film's ending. In 1996, Harris shared two characters with Katherine Heigl for the made-for-television film Wish Upon a Star:68 Harris plays Hayley Wheaton, a girl who switches bodies with her older, more popular sister Alexia (Heigl) with whom she does not get along well.69 She also appeared in the film Shattered Image alongside Eric Balfour.70 She went on to appear in the film Back to Back, which received a television release in the US in 1996.71 Harris had a supporting role in the Stallone film Daylight, released the same year.72 Daylight received mixed critical reviews, and only holds a 21% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.73 The film did not perform well in the United States and grossed below expectations. While Daylight made $33 million in the US, overseas it took in over $126 million, resulting in gross earnings of $159,212,469 worldwide.74 In 1997, Harris appeared in two episodes of the medical drama ER as Laura Quentin.7576 Harris had the lead role of Lulu in the 1998 film Dizzyland, in which she portrayed a sexually abused teenager.77 Harris also appeared in an episode of Diagnosis: Murder in 1998.78 She then appeared in the popular slasher Urban Legend, her first horror film since her initial Halloween outings.79 She portrayed Tosh, a goth girl who is murdered while her roommate (protagonist Alicia Witt) is resting on the other side of the room.79 Beginning in 1998, Harris made the main cast of Nickelodeon's animated children's series The Wild Thornberrys, chosen to voice Debbie Thornberry, the sister of a girl who can talk to animals.80 The protagonist, Eliza, travels the world with her family and uses her special ability to help the animals.8182 The series lasted for five seasons,83 with a total of 92 episodes airing between 1998 and 2004.84858687 It proved very popular, and spawned the television film The Origin of Donnie, released in 2001.88 In 2002, The Wild Thornberrys Movie was released theatrically.89 It was a commercial success, and ended up grossing $40,108,697 domestically.90 A second film, Rugrats Go Wild, dealt with the Thornberrys meeting the characters from another popular series, Rugrats. Released in 2003,91 the film opened at #4 at the box office, and ended up grossing $39 million domestically, about the same amount as The Wild Thornberrys Movie.9293 The last episode of the fifth season and series finale aired in 2004.94 Harris continued to make various film and television appearances while doing The Wild Thornberrys. She was in a 1998 episode of the series Charmed, portraying a teenage witch named Aviva.95 Harris also starred in the film Goosed in 1999, as protagonist Jennifer Tilly's younger self.96 She also appeared as Justine in the made for television film Hard Time: Hostage Hotel, directed by Hal Needham,97 had a supporting role in the crime and comedy film Poor White Trash come 2000,98 and went on to star in the 2001 comedy Killer Bud.99 Between 2000 and 2002, Harris was a cast member of the series That's Life, which ran for two seasons.100 Her character, Plum Wilkinson, featured in 28 out of 32 aired episodes and was involved in a romantic relationship with Kevin Dillon.101 Harris later appeared in an episode of The West Wing, as Kiki.102 In 2003, she had a supporting role as Leila in the made-for-television film The Partners.103 2004 saw Harris in the theatrically released films Debating Robert Lee and Em & Me.104105 From 2004 to 2005, Harris was a main cast member of the computer-animated sitcom Father of the Pride, appearing in all 14 episodes.106 In January 2007, it was confirmed that Harris would be cast as Annie Brackett in the then-upcoming remake of the 1978 classic Halloween.107108109 This marked Harris' first appearance in the Halloween franchise since her performance in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers eighteen years prior.110 The remake, also called Halloween and directed by Rob Zombie, featured actors such as Scout Taylor-Compton and Malcolm McDowell. Harris has revealed that Zombie wanted no one from previous Halloweens in the film, but, once she auditioned, he changed his mind.111 Despite mostly negative reviews, the film, which cost $15 million to make, went on to gross $80,253,908 worldwide,112 making it the highest grossing film in the Halloween franchise in unadjusted U.S. dollars. Unlike in the original version, Harris' character of Annie survives the brutal attacks of Michael Myers. Such scenes involved upper body nudity from Harris' part, a career first. She stated "It is something that I wanted to do because everyone's like, 'Oh, she's little Jamie. She's 14.' And it's like, no, actually, I'm 30. It's something that I've never done before."113 Harris has noted that she remained nude even while the cameras were not rolling, as it helped her emphasize Annie's vulnerability.114 On facing off against Michael Myers once again and at the same time having her first nude scene, Harris also commented: “ I had a harder time emotionally with Rob Zombie's Halloween and H2 than I did when I was a kid. When I was a kid, it was totally fun and I didn't understand when I did Rob's Halloween, why it was so hard for me to shake it off. I'm like, "I'm an actress! Why am I getting a feeling like I want to cry? This is weird! I did enough crying when I was there set. I don't know why I'm still feeling this way". I think it was because it was the first time I was ever physically touched by him. As a little girl, as Jamie, he never got me, ever. Now as an adult, I don't have my clothes on, doing scenes I've never done before as an actor, and I'm actually being attacked. Even though I should know the guy by now, it's still a weird thing that happens with your psyche I think.115 ” Harris reprised her role as Annie in the 2009 sequel Halloween II. Halloween II was officially released on August 28, 2009 in North America, and was met with negative reception from most critics. On October 30, 2009 it was re-released in North America to coincide with the Halloween holiday weekend. The original opening of the film grossed less than that of the 2007 remake, with approximately $7 million. The film would go on to earn $33,392,973 in North America and $5,925,616 in foreign countries, giving Halloween II a worldwide total of $39,318,589. "My career has not been easy for me. I feel like after everything I've done, I've kind of had to start over. I remember a couple of months ago... I found a Teen People magazine with me on the cover of "The New It Girls", and it was me, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson and Kirsten Dunst. I was in that company at one point in my career – I had just done Daylight with Sylvester Stallone 1996. And then somewhere along the line, I don’t know what happened. It was not for a lack of trying – they got that one movie after that that really pushed them, and I feel like I'm always looking for that movie. I've just managed to barely hang in there by the skin of my teeth, but I think that’s why I'm still working is because I've hung in there. With Rob Zombie bringing me back for Halloween, it's ironic that the same movie that started my career reinvented it again." –Harris on her path to becoming a scream queen116 Beyond her return to Halloween, Harris has continued to develop her scream queen identity with growing genre credits. She starred alongside Lance Henriksen, Bill Moseley, AFI's Davey Havok, and Battlestar Galactica's Nicki Clyne in the Illustrated Film series Godkiller. For Fearnet, she hosted Route 666: America's Scariest Home Haunts. Her films Godkiller and Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet saw DVD release by the time Fear Clinic, a Fearnet original web series featuring Harris as well as Robert Englund, Kane Hodder and Lisa Wilcox, made its debut the week of Halloween 2009, and her own upcoming horror resources website, horrorgal.com, was announced.117 She can also be seen as Felicia Freeze in the comedic superhero film Super Capers, and alongside Robert Patrick in The Black Waters of Echo's Pond.118 Beginning with 2010's Hatchet II, Harris has taken over the leading role of Marybeth in the Hatchet series, after Tamara Feldman declined to reprise her character.119120121 Further such credits include Jim Mickle's second feature film,122 the vampire/post-apocalyptic epic Stake Land,123 Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer, ChromeSkull and Michael Biehn's The Victim, in addition to providing the voice and basis for a computer-animated Barbara in Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D, director Zebediah de Soto's prequel/re-telling of George A. Romero's 1968 original.124 She is set to star in William Forsythe's directorial debut, the vampire film New Blood.125 Harris' own directorial debut is the horror comedy Among Friends, in which she also makes an appearance.126 The film, which was picked up for distribution by Lions Gate Entertainment, was released on August 27, 2013.127128Category:Cast